Injection molding is a manufacturing process for producing parts from both thermoplastic and thermosetting plastic materials. Material is fed into a heated barrel, mixed, and forced into a mold cavity where it cools and hardens to the configuration of the mold cavity. After a product is designed, usually by an industrial designer or an engineer, molds are made by a moldmaker (or toolmaker) from metal, usually either steel or aluminum, and precision-machined to form the features of the desired part. Injection molding is widely used for manufacturing a variety of parts, from the smallest component to entire body panels of cars.
A typical injection molding machine includes multiple components designed to transform stock material into a batch of molded products. The operational components of the injection molding machine usually include a stock supply assembly, an extruder assembly, an injection assembly, a press assembly and a mold pallet assembly. It is highly desirable for a single injection molding machine to produce several different batches of molded products, such as different products of various configurations and used in different industrial applications.
During a typical multi-batch manufacturing shift, a first batch of molded products is created during a first production run. To begin this first production run, a first mold assembly having a first mold configuration reflecting the desired shape of a first product to be molded, is installed into the injection molding machine. Upon completion of the first production run, a second mold assembly having a second mold configuration reflecting the desired shape of a second product to be molded, is installed into the injection molding machine for the second batch of molded products to be created. In a multi-batch manufacturing process, this second batch of molded product will possess properties different from those of the first batch of molded products. Consequently, in a batch-conversion it is necessary to remove the first mold pallet assembly and replace it with a second mold pallet assembly.
The art of molding machines used in injection molding applications is replete with various designs as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,172 to Gilbert; U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,103 to Brown et. al; and United States Patent Application Publication No. 20090256281 to Kim et al. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,103 to Brown et. al., for example, teaches an injection molding machine having a lower support situated at the unloading/loading position and upper and lower mold-mounting devices located in the mold-receiving/releasing condition. A mold pallet assembly is positioned in a closed condition on a mold transport table. The mold transport table is a rolling table with a top surface approximately coplaner with the lower support in the unloading/loading position.
After the molding operation is complete, the mold pallet assembly is shifted from the lower support to the mold transport table to be transported to a suitable storage location. To the extend effective, it will take time to transport the mold pallet assembly positioned on the mold transport table to the storage location, then place another mold pallet assembly to the mold transport table in order to move the mold transport table back to the injection molding machine. This method is time consuming and negatively impacts production time line, which provides numerous opportunities for presenting new systems and methods that will improve the aforementioned injection molding machines as taught by the U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,172 to Gilbert; U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,103 to Brown et. al; and United States Patent Application Publication No. 20090256281 to Kim et al.
Therefore, an opportunity exists for an improved molding apparatus and system adaptable to engage multiple mold assemblies of various configuration for forming various products at a single molding location. Moreover, the opportunity exists for the molding machine configured to withstand deflection and distortion as the molding machine is in operational use with the mold assembly connected to and hanging from a top portion or a mold holding member of the molding machine thereby eliminating offset between the first mold portion and the second mold portion to prevent production of defective parts as the molding apparatus forms the parts.